KSA complains to FIFA about Qatar’s BeIN using World Cup as political tool

“Mixing sport and politics in this cheap way has been disgraceful and does not represent respectable Arabs,” Al-Zahrani, who played for Al-Ittihad, said, adding that, ““Hopefully, this petition will fulfil the expectations of all Arabs.”

In one of the station’s broadcasts, a commentator accused Saudi Arabia of “selling out the Palestinian cause,” while in another the host suggested the Kingdom’s top sporting officials will become “prisoners at the Ritz-Carlton,” a reference to the detentions in Riyadh during last year’s anti-corruption drive.

Egyptian media analyst Abdellatif El-Menawy said BeIN had “distorted the global football event” by using it as a political tool against Saudi Arabia.

“This is an infringement of the rules and standards of professional media,” El-Menawy told Arab News on Saturday. 

“BeIN Sports has abandoned neutrality and professionalism,” he added, saying the network’s coverage after Saudi Arabia’s 5-0 defeat by Russia was “gloating” and “sarcastic.”